Caramelized Green Beans

If you haven’t tried these caramelized green beans, your life is about to change. They are sweet, salty, smoky, perfection! Fresh green beans, caramelized onions, and crispy bacon are coated in a sweet and savory glaze. This is one of the rare green bean recipes that all my kids eat like candy. This recipe comes from Ohana at the Polynesian Resort in Disneyworld, so you know it’s going to be good.

Caramelized green beans on a fork with bacon

Ingredient Notes

  • Soy sauce – You can use regular or reduced sodium soy sauce. I prefer Aloha brand, personally. I think it has the best flavor, far and away!
  • Green beans – Use fresh beans from the produce section here. My favorite are the “french” style, which are thinner than standard green beans and require less trimming. Costco often sells bags of these in their refrigerated produce section.
  • Bacon – Grab your favorite bacon. Regular or thick cut will work great. 
  • Onion – Red onion is preferred but you could use yellow or white if you need to.
  • Garlic – you’ll want to use fresh garlic cloves in this recipe.
caramelized green bean ingredients on a counter

How to Make Caramelized Green Beans

1. Begin by frying the bacon in a large skillet. You will eventually cook all the green beans in this pan so choose accordingly. Then start boiling a large pot of water. Place beans in a colander and rinse them well. Then snap the ends off and snap them in half.

2. Prepare the sauce by mixing sugar and soy sauce in a small bowl.


3. Make sure your onions are sliced, garlic is pressed or minced, and everything is ready to go.

cooked bacon in a pan


4. Remove bacon from pan and drain on a paper towel. Remove all but 2-3 tablespoons bacon drippings from the pan (You may not need to remove any if it didn’t render more than that).

5. Add beans to boiling water. Place colander in a clean sink. Boil for one minute; you’re not cooking them until they’re done, just blanching them to take the edge off. Meanwhile, add the onions and garlic into the pan with the bacon drippings.

sauteed onions in frying pan

6. Add the drained green beans to the skillet. Stir fry 2-3 more minutes until onions are soft.

7. Give your sauce a quick stir and then pour on top of the beans. Keep stir-frying until the beans look shiny and glazed. If you have liquid in the pan keep simmering to evaporate until it turns into a thicker, glossy sauce.


8. Add crumbled bacon and lots of freshly-ground pepper to the beans. Keep stir frying until the sauce sticks to the beans and the bacon. Season with additional salt if necessary. Transfer to a serving dish and allow to stand a few minutes.

caramelized green beans with bacon in serving dish

FAQs

Can I make these ahead of time? These beans are best made fresh. If you need to prep ahead, feel free to blanch the beans, cook your bacon (don’t forget to reserve some drippings!), and even prep your onions and garlic. That way, everything is ready to pop in the frying pan right before serving time. 

green beans and bacon on a fork

Related Recipes

Looking for more great holiday sides? Check out these other Our Best Bites favorites: 

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green beans with bacon on a fork

Caramelized Green Beans


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Description

Sweet, savory, garlicky, caramelized bacon green beans are perfect for holidays and special occasions!


Ingredients

1 pound (actually, just a little bit more…maybe 1 1/8 pound) fresh green beans
1/2 pound bacon
1/2 red onion, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
A few turns of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt


Instructions

Begin frying the bacon in a large skillet. Start boiling a large pot of water. Place beans in a colander and rinse them well. Then snap the ends off and snap them in half.

Prepare the sauce by mixing sugar and soy sauce in a small bowl.

Make sure your onions are sliced, garlic is pressed  and everything is ready to go.

Remove bacon from pan and drain on a paper towel. Drain all but 2-3 tablespoons of bacon drippings from pan (you may not need to remove any if it didn’t render that much).

Add beans to boiling water. Place colander in a clean sink. Boil for one minute; you’re not cooking them until they’re done, just blanching them to take the edge off. After one minute, drain beans in the colander in the sink.

Heat pan with bacon drippings to medium heat. When the pan is hot, add onions and garlic. Give them a quick sauté for a 2 minutes or so, until the onions start to soften and then add the drained green beans. Cook for an additional 2 minutes or so.   

Give your sauce a quick stir and then pour on top of the beans. Keep stir-frying until the beans look shiny and glazed. This will take a few minutes.  The sauce will go from liquid to a thicker glaze consistency as water evaporates.

Crumble bacon and add to pan, along with several turns of black pepper.  Keep stir frying until the sauce sticks to the beans and the bacon. Season with salt to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and allow to stand a few minutes before serving. 

Sara Wells
Meet The Author

Sara Wells

Sara Wells co-founded Our Best Bites in 2008. She is the author of three Bestselling Cook Books, Best Bites: 150 Family Favorite RecipesSavoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites, and 400 Calories or Less from Our Best Bites. Sara’s work has been featured in many local and national news outlets and publications such as Parenting MagazineBetter Homes & GardensFine CookingThe Rachel Ray Show and the New York Times.

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